Gaming machine

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a gaming machine in which a plurality of medal accumulating parts  20   a  through  20   d  are disposed so that these parts are sequentially disposed and ranged along the medal discharge opening  17 , the medals that are paid out from the respective medal accumulating parts  20   a  through  20   c  are moved sequentially and accumulated in the medal accumulating parts  20   b  through  20   d  that are adjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening  17 , and the medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating part  20   d  located closely to the medal discharge opening  17  can be given to the player, wherein this gaming machine comprises drawing means which perform a drawing used to determine the presence or absence of a jackpot when medals are detected, notification means  23   a  through  23   d  which make a notification of the drawing results of the drawing means, and pay-out means  21   a  through  21   d  which pay out medals from the medal accumulating parts  20   a  through  20   d.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-part application of U.S. PatentApplication ______ (No. pending) filed on Sep. 24, 2004.

This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application Nos.2003-336355 filed on Sep. 26, 2003 and 2003-380374 filed on Nov. 10,2003, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Further, this application is related to Japanese Patent Application No.2003-336356, which was filed with the Japanese Patent Office on Sep. 26,2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gaming machine that is installed in aso-called game arcade or the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Gaming machines which are equipped with staircase form medalaccumulating parts comprising a plurality of step parts, and which areconstructed so that medals are paid out from a step part (among theabovementioned plurality of step parts) in accordance with the resultsof a drawing that is performed when it is acknowledged that a medal hasentered a medal receiving opening, have been known in the past (forexample, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-310077). Insuch a gaming machine, the paying out of medals from the medalaccumulating parts can be diversified so that medals are paid out fromthe step part at the lower end and given to the player, so that medalsthat are paid out from the step parts on the upper side are accumulatedin the step parts on the lower side, or so that medals are paid out fromall of the step parts and large quantities of medals are given to theplayer, in accordance with the drawing results.

However, in gaming machines of the type described above, the followingproblem has been encountered: namely, when it is notified that a playerhas won the abovementioned drawing so that a jackpot has been activated,there is merely a pay-out of medals, so that the player cannot enjoy asufficient feeling of achievement at having won the drawing.Furthermore, in spite of that a plurality of medal accumulating partsare provided, there is only a pay-out of medals when it is notified thatthe drawing has been won; accordingly, there is a danger that thescenario of the medal pay-out will be overlooked. When such eventsoccur, the interest of the game is conspicuously reduced, so that it maybe predicted that the player will no longer play the game.

Moreover, in a gaming machine such as that described above, since amedal receiving opening is fixed in a prescribed position within thegaming space, there is little movement in that medals are simplyinserted in the same direction towards the medal receiving opening, thuscreating monotonous game contents, and hence the player may experienceboredom.

Furthermore, since the game contents are such that medals are simplyinserted into a fixed medal receiving opening, then whichever playerplays the game, the frequency of inserting medals into the medalreceiving opening will be generally the same. Therefore, the gameresults depend on the result of a drawing for determining whether or nota jackpot has been activated, and it is difficult to reflect the skillof the player in the game results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The gaming machine of the present invention will be described inaccordance with the first and second aspects as follows.

The first aspect of the present invention is devised in light of theabovementioned problems; it is an object of the first aspect of thepresent invention to provide a gaming machine which allows the player toexperience a sufficient feeling of achievement at having won a jackpot,and which can prevent the medal pay-out scenario from being overlooked,so that the player can sufficiently enjoy the game.

In order to solve the abovementioned problems, the first aspect of thepresent invention is constructed as follows.

Specifically, the gaming machine comprising: a gaming machine having aprojection device for projection of medals into a gaming space; thegaming machine having a medal discharge opening for discharging medalsto an outside of the abovementioned gaming space; wherein the gamingmachine has a plurality of medal accumulating parts, and is constructedso that the plurality of medal accumulating parts are sequentiallydisposed and ranged along the medal discharge opening, wherein themedals that are paid out from the respective medal accumulating partsare sequentially moved and accumulated in the medal accumulating partsthat are adjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening, andwherein the medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating partsthat are located closely to the medal discharge opening are dischargedfrom the medal discharge opening and given to the player;

-   -   detecting means for detecting the medals that are projected from        the projection device;    -   drawing means for conducting a drawing in order to determine the        presence or absence of a jackpot when the medals are detected by        the detecting means;    -   notification means for making a notification of the drawing        results of the drawing means; and    -   pay-out means for paying out medals from the medal accumulating        parts when notification of a jackpot is made by the notification        means.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the notification means comprise an LEDlamp.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the notification means comprise an LEDpattern display device.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, a plurality of the detecting meansare disposed corresponding to the respective medal accumulating parts,the drawing means perform a drawing in order to determine a presence orabsence of a jackpot separately for each of a plurality of detectingmeans when the medals are detected by the detecting means, thenotification means are disposed corresponding to each of the detectingmeans, and the pay-out means pay out medals from the medal accumulatingparts when notification is made of a jackpot by a combination ofnotification contents of a plurality of notification means disposedcorresponding to the medal accumulating parts.

Furthermore, in this case as well, the notification means can beconstructed as an LED lamp or LED pattern display device.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the machine may also be constructedso that the LED lamps are respectively disposed corresponding to aplurality of the detecting means, and so that the LED lamps are lit orcaused to blink with a same color when the jackpot is activated.

Furthermore, the notification means can be constructed as an LED patterndisplay device.

Furthermore, the gaming machine may also be constructed so that theabovementioned LED pattern display devices are respectively disposedcorresponding to a plurality of the detecting means, and so that the LEDpattern display devices are caused to display a same pattern when thejackpot is activated.

Furthermore, the gaming machine may also be constructed so that therespective medal accumulating parts are disposed above the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medal dischargeopening, and so that medals in the respective medal accumulating partsare caused to move by their own weight from these respective medalaccumulating parts, and are accumulated in the medal accumulating partsthat are adjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening.

The second aspect of the present invention is devised with the foregoingproblems in view, an object thereof being to provide a gaming machinewhich creates a rich sense of movement, and which allows the skill of aplayer to be reflected in the game results, thereby allowing the playerto play the game without experiencing boredom.

A gaming machine comprising: a gaming machine having a projection devicefor projection of medals into a gaming space; the gaming machine havinga medal receiving opening for receiving medals that are projected by theprojection device; wherien the gaming machine has a medal dischargeopening for discharging medals to the outside of the gaming space;wherein the gaming machine has a plurality of medal accumulating parts,and is constructed so that the plurality of medal accumulating parts aresequentially disposed and ranged along the medal discharge opening,wherein the medals that are paid out from the respective medalaccumulating parts are sequentially moved and accumulated in the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medal dischargeopening, and wherein the medals that are paid out from the medalaccumulating part that is located closely to the medal discharge openingare discharged from the medal discharge opening and given to the player;

-   -   detecting means for detecting the medals that have entered into        the medal receiving opening;    -   drawing means for performing a drawing in order to determine the        presence or absence of a jackpot when the medals are detected by        the detecting means;    -   pay-out means for paying out medals from the medal accumulating        parts in accordance with the drawing results of the drawing        means; and    -   moving means for moving the medal receiving opening.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the moving means is a moving unit inwhich the medal receiving opening is disposed in a suspended fashion,the moving unit causing the medal receiving opening to move upwards anddownwards.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the moving unit comprises: a framebody fixed to a ceiling part inside the gaming space; a raising andlowering motor provided inside the frame body; and a rope winding partattached to the shaft of the raising and lowering motor; the other endof the rope that is wound about the rope winding part being attached toa member coupled to the medal receiving opening.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, an openable and closable lid body isprovided in the opening section of the medal receiving opening intowhich the medals enter, in such a manner that an opening and closingoperation of the lid body is performed with a prescribed timing.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the drawing means performs a drawingin order to determine a presence or absence of a jackpot with respect tothe paying out of medals from two or more medal accumulating parts ofthe plurality of medal accumulating parts, when the medals have beendetected by the detecting means.

Furthermore, the gaming machine may comprises a notification means formaking a notification of the drawing results of the drawing means.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the notification means comprises anLED lamp.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the notification means comprises anLED pattern display device.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the respective medal accumulatingparts are disposed above the medal accumulating parts that are adjacenton the side of the medal discharge opening, and

-   -   medals in the respective medal accumulating parts are caused to        move by their own weight from these respective medal        accumulating parts, and are accumulated in the medal        accumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medal        discharge opening.

Furthermore, the medals used in the gaming machine in accordance withthe present invention may also include other medium, such as a coin or atoken, as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view which schematically shows a gaming machineconstituting an embodiment in accordance with the first aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view which schematically shows the game fieldthat is disposed inside the game space of the gaming machine shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a positional relationship which schematically shows one of thetransporting devices with which the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1 isequipped;

FIG. 4A is a plan view which schematically shows the medal accommodatingpart with which the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1 is equipped;

FIG. 4B is a sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view which schematically shows the area in thevicinity of the launching device with which the gaming machine shown inFIG. 1 is equipped;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram which schematically shows the internalconstruction of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart which shows the game execution processing routinethat is executed in the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart which shows the medal supply processing routinethat is executed in the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 9A through 9C are diagrams which show how the game is played inthe gaming machine shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 10A through 10C are diagrams which show how the game is played inthe gaming machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view which schematically shows a gaming machineconstituting an embodiment in accordance with the second aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view which schematically shows the game fieldthat is disposed inside the game space of the gaming machine shown inFIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view which schematically shows a movingunit provided in the gaming machine shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram which schematically shows the internalconstruction of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart which shows the game execution processingroutine that is executed in the gaming machine shown in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 16 is a diagram which shows one example of a drawing probabilitytable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments in accordance with the first aspect of the present inventionwill be described below with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view which schematically shows an example of agaming machine constituting an embodiment in accordance with the firstaspect of the present invention. The gaming machine 10 comprises ahousing 12 which has substantially the shape of a hexagonal column. Theinterior of the game space 13 can be viewed via window parts 14consisting of a transparent material that constitute parts of thehousing 12. Furthermore, the ceiling body 11 that forms a part of thehousing 12 also consists of a transparent material, so that the interiorof the game space 13 can be viewed from above. Six game fields 15constituting targets at which medals are launched from a medal launchingdevice 16 (described later) are respectively disposed inside the gamespace 13 so that the hexagonal shape is divided into six parts from thecenter. Furthermore, in the figures, only two of the six game fields 15are shown. (All the parts are not necessarily shown in the figures withrespect to other parts.).

Five transporting devices 50 which are used for the upward conveying ofmedals that have dropped into medal dropping openings 37 (describedlater), and rails 45 that are respectively connected to the upper partsof the five transporting device 50, are disposed in the vicinity of thewindow parts 14 inside the game space 13. The rails 45 are disposed sothat these rails are inclined downward from the upper parts of thetransporting devices 50 toward a medal accommodating part 90 disposed inthe central part of the gam space 13. The medals that are transportedupward by the transporting devices 50 slide down the rails 45 and areaccommodated in the medal accommodating part 90. Furthermore, the rails45 consist of a transparent material such as an acrylic resin or thelike, and are arranged so that the medals that slide down the rails 45can be seen from the outside. Whenever a specified time (e.g., 5minutes) has elapsed, the medals accommodated in the medal accommodatingpart 90 are supplied to one of a number of medal carrying locations 27(not shown in the figures) that are respectively provided for the sixgame fields 15. In this case, a drawing (hereafter referred to as the“supply drawing”) that is used to select the medal carrying location 27that is the object of medal supply among the six medal carryinglocations 27 is conducted, and medals are supplied to the medal carryinglocations 27 in accordance with the results of this drawing.

Furthermore, the abovementioned transporting devices 50 and medalaccommodating part 90 will be described in detail later with referenceto the attached figures.

Launching devices 16 that are used to launch medals are respectivelydisposed corresponding to the six game fields 15 in the lower part ofthe housing 12, so that a maximum of six players can simultaneously playthe game. These launching devices 16 are installed so that the devicescan pivot in the vertical (up-down) direction and left-right directionwithin a specified range. The players determine the launching directionof the medals by pivoting the launching devices 16 within the specifiedrange in the vertical and left-right directions, and launch medals bypressing a launch button 122 (not shown in the figures), so that themedals are launched inside the game space 13.

Furthermore, the permissible pivoting range and the like of thelaunching devices 16 are set so that the launching devices 16 canproject medals only onto the corresponding game fields 15.

Moreover, a medal removal opening 31 is disposed beneath each launchingdevice 16, and medals that are discharged to the outside of the gamespace 13 via the medal discharge opening 17 (not shown in the figures)described later are supplied to the medal removal openings 31, and givento the players.

Next, the game fields 15 disposed inside the game space 13 will bedescribed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view which schematically shows one of the gamefields 15 disposed inside the game space 13 of the gaming machine 10shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, in the following description, one of thesix game fields 15 provided in the gaming machine 10 will be described.

This game field 15 comprises a medal carrying location 27 and four medalaccumulating parts 20 (20 a through 20 d). The accumulating parts 20 (20a through 20 d) are constructed from the inclined surface of the medalcarrying location 27, opening-and-closing doors 21 (21 a through 21 d)that will be described later, medal receiving openings 22 (22 a through22 d) that will be described later, and side plates (not shown in thefigures). The side plates are disposed on both side parts of theinclined surface of the medal carrying location 27 so as to contact themedal receiving openings 22. Each of the medal accumulating parts 20 athrough 20 d can accumulate medals that are projected by thecorresponding launching device 16. Furthermore, the medal accumulatingpart 20 a can accumulate medals that are supplied from the medalaccommodating part 90 (see FIG. 1). The four medal accumulating parts 20a through 20 d are sequentially disposed and ranged along the inclinedsurface of the medal carrying location 27 toward the player who isplaying the game in front.

Opening-and-closing doors 21 a through 21 d consisting of a transparentmaterial such as an acrylic resin or the like are respectively disposedbefore the respective medal accumulating parts 20 a through 20 d. Theplayers playing the game in front of the medal accumulating parts 20 athrough 20 d can visually observe the medals that have accumulated inthe medal accumulating parts 20 a through 20 d via theseopening-and-closing doors 21 a through 21 d.

The opening-and-closing doors 21 (21 a through 21 d) are respectivelyconnected to a stepping motor 32 (not shown in the figures) via atransmission member or the like (not shown in the figures) that canconvert the rotational motion of the stepping motor 32 into arectilinear reciprocating motion, so that the opening-and-closing doorscan be moved upward or downward and placed in an open state or closedstate by the operation of the stepping motor 32.

When the stepping motor 32 operates so that the opening-and-closingdoors 21 a through 21 d are placed in an open state, the medals that areblocked slide and move downward along the inclined surface of the medalcarrying location 27 as a result of their own weight.

Medal receiving openings 22 a and 22 d that are used to receive medalsthat are launched by the launching devices 16 and projected into thegame space 13 are respectively disposed on the left and right sides ofeach of the opening-and-closing doors 21 a through 21 d. Furthermore,the medal receiving openings 22 a through 22 d respectively comprise LEDlamps 23 a through 23 that can emit light of a plurality of differentcolors. In cases where it is ascertained that a jackpot has beenactivated according to the drawing results of the drawing that is usedto determine the presence or absence of a jackpot, the LED lamps 23 onthe left and right sides are lit with the same color, thus providingnotification that a jackpot has been activated. These LED lamps 23function as notification means which provide notification of the drawingresults of the drawing that is used to determine the presence or absenceof jackpot. Furthermore, medal sensors 28 (not shown in the figures)such as infrared light sensors or the like are disposed inside the medalreceiving openings 22 a through 22 d; as a result, medals that haveentered the respective medal receiving openings 22 can be detected.

For example, when a medal enters one of the medal receiving openings 22a among the two medal receiving openings 22 a disposed in the medalaccumulating part 20 a, it is acknowledged that a medal has beendetected by the medal sensor 28 constituting the detecting means; inthis case, the LED lamp 23 a disposed in one of the medal receivingopenings 22 a blinks while sequentially changing colors, and is then litwith a specified color after a specified period of time has elapsed. Ifa medal enters the other medal receiving opening 22 a in a state inwhich one of the LED lamps 23 a is lit with a specified color, and thismedal is detected by the medal sensor 28, the LED lamp 23 a disposed inthe other medal receiving opening 22 a blinks while changing colors, andis then lit with a specified color. In this case, if the color withwhich the two LED lamps 23 a are lit is the same color, it is recognizedthat a jackpot has been activated, and the opening-and-closing doors 21a are driven by the stepping motor 32 so that the opening-and-closingdoors 21 a are placed in an open state. Then, the medals that areblocked by the opening-and-closing doors 21 a slide downward along theinclined surface of the medal carrying location 27, and are accumulatedin the medal accumulating part 20 b located beneath the medalaccumulating part 20 a.

Furthermore, in the case of the medal accumulating parts 20 b through 20d, as in the case of the medal accumulating part 20 a, after medalsrespectively enter the two medal receiving openings 22 (medal receivingopenings 22 b through 22 d) provided in the medal accumulating parts 20(medal accumulating parts 20 b through 20 d), if the color with whichthe LED lamps 23 that are respectively provided in the two medalreceiving openings 22 is the same color, the opening-and-closing doors21 (opening-and-closing doors 21 b through 21 d) are respectively placein an open state, and the medals are paid out.

The medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating parts 20 athrough 20 c respectively move under their own weight into the medalaccumulating parts 20 b through 20 d that are adjacent on the side ofthe medal discharge opening 17, and that are positioned lower than themedal accumulating parts 20 a through 20 c, and are accumulated in thesemedal accumulating parts 20 b through 20 d. The medals that are paid outfrom the medal accumulating part 20 d that is located closely to themedal discharge opening 17 slide downward, and are either carried on thefield plate 34 (described later), caused to drop into the medaldischarge opening 17 from the field plate 34 and given to the player, orcaused to drop into the medal dropping opening 37 and conveyed by theabovementioned transporting device 50.

For example, the system may be devised as follows: specifically, themedals that are accumulated in the uppermost medal accumulating part 20a are sequentially caused to move into the medal accumulating parts 20b, 20 c and 20 d that are adjacent on the side of the medal dischargeopening 17, and the medals that are respectively accumulated in themedal accumulating parts 20 a through 20 c are caused to move into themedal accumulating part 20 d. Subsequently, medals are paid out from themedal accumulating part 20 d, so that all of the medals accumulated inthe medal accumulating parts 20 a through 20 d are paid out from themedal accumulating part 20 d at one time.

A horizontal medal push-out part 33 is disposed on the front part of themedal carrying location 27, and a field plate 34 is disposed on thecentral part of the undersurface of the medal push-out part 33. Thefield plate 34 is connected to a motor 35 (not shown in the figures) viaa transmission member (not shown in the figures) or the like that canconvert the rotational motion of the motor 35 into a rectilinearreciprocating motion, and the field plate 34 is thus constructed so thatthis field plate can be caused to perform a reciprocating motion betweenthe front side and inside side by the operation of the motor 35. Thefield plate 34 has a length which is such that medals can be placed onthe front side of the medal push-out member 33 even when the field plate34 has moved to the furthest inside point. When projected medals andmedals that have been paid out from the medal accumulating part 20 d areplaced on the field plate 34 in a case where the field plate 34 hasmoved to the front side, these projected medals are pushed out by themedal push-out part 33 when the field plate 34 subsequently moves to theinside side so that other medals carried on the field plate 34 can bepushed out and caused to drop into the medal discharge opening 17.

Furthermore, medal dropping openings 37 are disposed on the left andright sides of the medal discharge opening 17. Projected medals, medalspaid out from the medal accumulating part 20 d and the like slide downalong the inclined surface of the medal carrying location 27 and dropinto the medal dropping openings 37, whereupon these medals aretransported by the transporting devices 50 and accommodated in the medalaccommodating part 90.

Furthermore, the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment need notnecessarily be a so-called pusher gaming machine comprising a medalpush-out part 33 and field plate 34; for example, the machine may alsobe constructed so that the medals that slide downward along the medalcarrying location 27 can drop directly into the medal discharge opening17 or medal dropping openings 37.

Next, one of the transporting devices 50 will be described withreference to the attached figures.

FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away perspective view which schematicallyshows this transporting device 50.

The transporting device 50 is a device in which medals that have droppedinto the medal dropping opening 37 (see FIG. 2), been caused to slidedown the rails 51 communicating with the medal dropping opening 37, andplaced on a stopper 52 on the tip end of the rails 51, are conveyedupward and fed onto rails 45 that communicate with the medalaccommodating part 90 (see FIG. 2). The stopper 52 on the tip ends ofthe rails 51 has a comb-form shape, and is constructed with the tip endbeing bent so that medals that slide downward along the rails 51 can bestopped in the vicinity of the stopper 52.

The transporting device 50 comprises a medal elevator mechanism 70 thatcan lift medals that have been placed on the stopper 52. The medalelevator mechanism 70 has a plurality of buckets 71 that are used toaccommodate the medals carried on the stopper 52, and a bucket drivingdevice 72 containing a motor that is used to circulate the buckets 71 inthe vertical direction. A sprocket 73 is attached to the drive shat 72 aof the motor inside the bucket driving device 72, and a chain 75 towhich the plurality of buckets 71 are attached is mounted on thissprocket 73 and another sprocket 73 that is positioned above thissprocket 73. The upper sprocket 73 is attached to supporting plates 64 aand 64 b so that this sprocket 73 is free to rotate.

A medal supporting plate 71 a that is used to support medals is disposedon each bucket 71, and the respective medal supporting plates 71 a areinclined downward toward the side of the supporting plate 64 a from theside of the supporting plate 64 b. Furthermore, the end part on theupper side of each medal supporting plate 71 a has a comb-form shape,and when the medal supporting plate 71 a is raised from the lower end,the comb part of the medal supporting plate 71 a and the comb part ofthe stopper 52 cross so as to face each other, so that the medalscarried on the stopper 52 are scooped up when the medal supporting plate71 a passes the upper side of the stopper 52.

Furthermore, a medal stopper 76 that is used to prevent the medals fromdropping downward from the medal supporting plate 71 a of each bucket 71is disposed on the supporting plate 64 a. The medal stopper 76 extendsin the vertical direction, and when the medal supporting plate 71 acarrying the medals reaches the upper end of the medal stopper 76, themedals carried on the medal supporting plate 71 a slide downward, andmove onto the rails 45.

Furthermore, a medal hopper that is used to perform the paying out ofmedals may be disposed inside the housing 12, and the system may bedevised so that medals paid out from this medal hopper are supplied tothe stopper 52 besides the medals that are supplied to the stopper 52from the medal dropping openings 37. By doing this, it is possible tocause a maximum quantity of medals to be accommodated on each medalsupporting plate 71 a, so that the player can be caused to experience astrong sense of anticipation regarding the supply of medals from themedal accommodating part 90.

Furthermore, the system may also be devised so that medals that havedropped from the medal dropping openings 37 are not supplied directly tothe medal stopper 52, but are instead temporarily accumulated in themedal hopper, so that medals paid out from the medal hopper are suppliedto the stopper 52.

As is shown in FIG. 3, each transporting device 50 is constructed sothat the transported medals can be visually observed from the outside;furthermore, as is described above, the rails 45 that are connected tothe transporting device 50 consist of a transparent material. As aresult, the player can visually observe the meals that are conveyed tothe medal accommodating part 90 by the transporting device 50 and rails45 via the window part 14 (see FIG. 1).

Next, the medal accommodating part 90 will be described with referenceto the attached figures.

FIG. 4A is a plan view which schematically shows the medal accommodatingpart 90 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view along line A-Ain FIG. 4A.

As is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the medal accommodating part 90 has asubstantially hexagonal spindle shape; furthermore, as is shown in FIG.4A, six opening-and-closing parts 91 are formed in the circumferentialedge part of the medal accommodating part 90 so that theseopening-and-closing parts can open and close.

When the opening-and-closing parts 91 are in a closed state, the medalsthat are carried on the inclined surface 98 are blocked by theopening-and-closing parts 91. Then, when the opening-and-closing parts91 are lowered so that the opening-and-closing parts 91 are placed in anopen state, the medals carried on the inclined surface 98 slidedownward, and move into the medal accumulating parts 20 (20 a through 20d).

In the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, a supply drawing that isused to select the medal carrying location 27 that is the object ofmedal supply among the six medal carrying locations 27 of the medalaccommodating part 90 is performed each time that a specified period oftime (e.g., 5 minutes) elapses. The opening-and-closing part 91 for theselected medal carrying location 27 is placed in an open state inaccordance with the results of this supply drawing, and the medalsaccommodated in the medal accommodating part 90 are supplied to themedal accumulating part 20 a disposed on the medal carrying location 27.

As is shown in FIG. 4B, a tooth-form part 95 is disposed on the lowerpart of each opening-and-closing part 91. Furthermore, a gear 93attached to the shat of an opening-and-closing motor 92 (not shown inthe figures) is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of thetooth-form part 95. The gear 93 engages with a gear 94 that is disposedbetween the tooth-form part 95 of the opening-and-closing part 91 andthe gear 93, and the gear 94 engages with the tooth-form part 95.

Furthermore, a raising limit position sensor 96 which is a mechanicaltype sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of thetooth-form part 95, and a lowering limit position sensor which is amechanical type sensor is disposed on the upper side of the gear 94 inthe vicinity of the tooth-form part 95.

When the opening-and-closing part 91 is to be opened, theopening-and-closing motor 92 operates so that the gear 93 rotates in theright-hand direction, thus causing the opening-and-closing part 91 to belowered. Then, when a contact 95 a disposed on the upper end of thetooth-form part 95 is detected by the lowering limit position sensor 97during the lowering of the opening-and-closing part 91, the rotation ofthe opening-and-closing motor 92 is stopped. Then, when a fixed periodof time (e.g., 5 seconds) has elapsed, the opening-and-closing motor 92is caused to rotate in the reverse direction (left-hand rotation), sothat the opening-and-closing part 91 is raised. When the contact 95 a isdetected by the raising limit position sensor 96 during the raising ofthe opening-and-closing part 91, the rotation of the opening-and-closingmotor 92 is stopped.

The supply of medals to the medal accumulating part 20 a from the medalaccommodating part 90 is accomplished by the raising and lowering of theabovementioned opening-and-closing part 91.

Furthermore, in FIG. 4B, only the tooth-form part 95 disposed on oneside (the upper side in FIG. 4A) of the opening-and-closing part 91 isshown; however, the opening-and-closing part 91 has tooth-form parts 95on both the left and right sides, and is constructed so that the boththe left and right tooth-form parts 95 can be driven by the motor 92.Furthermore, the raising limit position sensor 96 and lowering limitposition sensor 97 may be disposed on both the left and right sides, ormay be disposed on only one side. In a case where the raising limitposition sensor 96 and lowering limit position sensor 97 are disposed onone side of the opening-and-closing part 91, the detection of thecontact 95 a by the raising limit position sensor 96 and lowering limitposition sensor 97 is acknowledged, and the rotation of motors 92respectively provided for both the left and right tooth-form parts 95 isstopped.

Next, the launching device 16 will be described with reference to theattached figures.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view which shows the area in the vicinity of oneof the launching devices 16 of the housing 12 schematically.Furthermore, in FIG. 5, for convenience of description, a state is shownin which a portion of this launching device 16 is viewed in a sectionalview.

As is shown in FIG. 5, launching device 16 is attached on the lower sideof the window part 14 of the housing 12 so that this launching device 16can pivot within a specified range in the vertical direction andleft-right direction. The player can cause the launching device 16 topivot in the vertical direction and left-right direction by operating alever 120 that is disposed on the launching device 16. Furthermore, alaunch button 122 is disposed on this lever 120, and the player canlaunch medals 1 by pressing this launch button 122.

A medal loading opening 118 is formed in the left side of the launchingdevice 16, and a medal launching opening 119 is formed in the right sideof the launching device 16. Furthermore, guide rails 123 thatcommunicate with the medal loading opening 118 and medal launchingopening 119 are disposed inside the launching device 16. These guiderails 123 are disposed so that the rails are inclined downward towardthe inside end, and are bent upward at an intermediate point.Furthermore, a stopper 121 is disposed inside the launching device 16,and a shutter 124 is disposed to the inside of the stopper 121. Thestopper 121 can be moved upward and downward by the operation of asolenoid that is attached to the stopper 121, and the shutter 124 can beopened and closed by the operation of a motor that is attached to theshutter 124. Furthermore, the stopper 121 and shutter 124 are disposedat a spacing that is greater than the diameter of the medals 1.

Furthermore, a launching roller 125 is attached to a launching motor(not shown in the figures) on the right side of the shutter 124. Thelaunching roller 125 can be caused to rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrow in the figure by the operation of the launching motor.Furthermore, the launching roller 125 is disposed so that this rollercontacts the medals 1 that slide downward along the guide rails 123.When the launching roller 125 contacts the medals 1 that slide downwardalong the guide rails 123 while the launching roller 125 is rotating,the medals 1 can be accelerated, so that the medals 1 can be launched ina good attitude from the medal launching opening 119.

When a plurality of medals 1 enter the medal loading opening 118, theplurality of medals 1 are blocked by the shutter 124. In this case, thestopper 121 is in an open state, and one medal 1 is present between thestopper 121 and the shutter 124. When the launch button 122 is pressed,the stopper 121 moves downward, so that the medal 1 that is present infront of the stopper is blocked; then, immediately afterward, theshutter 124 is placed in a pivoted open state, and the launching roller125 rotates, so that the medal 1 that is present between the stopper 121and shutter 124 slides downward along the guide rails 123, isaccelerated by contact with the launching roller 125, and is launchedfrom the medal launching opening 119.

In the figure, as shown by the arrow of chain double-dashed line, themedals 1 launched from the medal launching opening 119 are projectedinto the game space 13.

When a specified time (e.g., 0.5 seconds) has elapsed following theplacing of the shutter 124 in an open state, the shutter 124 pivots andis placed in a closed state; furthermore, the stopper 121 moves upwardso that a medal 1 is fed out as far as the shutter 124. Then, when thelaunch button 122 is pressed again, this medal 1 is launched by themethod described above. Furthermore, for example, the abovementionedelapsed time can be set in accordance with the period of time extendingfrom the point in time at which the shutter 124 is placed in an openstate (when the launching device 16 approaches most closely to ahorizontal attitude) to the point in time at which the medal 1 passesthe lower end of the shutter 124 or the like. Furthermore, it would alsobe possible to install a sensor in the vicinity of the medal launchingopening 119, and to devise the system so that the shutter 124 is placedin a closed state when the medal that is accelerated by the launchingroller 125 is detected by the abovementioned sensor after the shutter124 has been placed in an open state.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram which schematically shows the internalconstruction of the gaming machine constituting this embodiment. As isshown in FIG. 6, a control part 60 is disposed inside the housing 12 ofthe gaming machine 10. The control part 60 comprises a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 66, a ROM 62 and a RAM 64.

The ROM 62 stores game programs that control the flow of the overallgames of the gaming machine 10, programs relating to the drawing that isconducted in order to establish the presence or absence of a jackpot,programs used to conduct the supply drawing that is used to select themedal carrying location 27 that is the object of medal supply, audiodata that is required in order to generate BGM, effect sounds and thelike in accordance with the game conditions, and other data.Furthermore, the ROM 62 also stores drawing probability tables that arerequired in order to conduct the drawing that is used to determine thepresence or absence of a jackpot, supply drawing probability tables thatare required in order to conduct the supply drawing used to select themedal carrying location 27 that is the object of medal supply among thesix medal carrying locations 27, and the like.

The CPU 66 is connected to the medal sensors 28 and LED lamps 23 (23 athrough 23 d) disposed in the medal receiving openings 22 (22 a through22 d) via an interface circuit 61. When it is detected by medal sensor28 that a medal has entered one of the two medal receiving openings 22,a detection signal is sent to the CPU 66 via the interface circuit 61.Then, the CPU 66 that has received such a detection signal from themedal sensor 28 determines the lit color of the LED lamp 23 in one medalreceiving opening 22, and sends a control signal to the LED lamp 23which causes this lamp to be lit with the determined lit color.

Furthermore, when it is detected by the medal sensor 28 that a medal hasentered the other medal receiving opening 22, a detection signal is sentto the CPU 66 via the interface 61. Then, the CPU 66 that has receivedsuch a detection signal from the medal sensor 28 performs a drawing onthe basis of the abovementioned drawing probability table that is storedin the ROM 62, and, in cases where a jackpot has been activated, the CPU66 transmits a control signal to the LED lamp 23 of the other medalreceiving opening 22 which causes this LED lamp 23 to be lit with thesame color as the previously lit LED lamp 23.

Furthermore, the CPU 66 is connected to the medal accommodating part 90via an interface circuit 63. Each time that a specified period of timehas elapsed, the CPU 66 sends a driving signal to theopening-and-closing motor 92, and causes the opening-and-closing motor92 to operate. When the CPU 66 receives a detection signal from thelowering limit position sensor 97 during the lowering of theopening-and-closing part 91 by the rotation of the opening-and-closingmotor 92, the CPU 66 sends a control signal to the opening-and-closingmotor 92 and stops the opening-and-closing motor 92. Then, after a fixedperiod of time (5 seconds) has elapsed, the CPU 66 again sends a controlsignal to the opening-and-closing motor 92 and causes theopening-and-closing motor 92 to rotate in the reverse direction so thatthe opening-and-closing part 91 is raised. Furthermore, when the CPU 66receives a detection signal from the raising limit position sensor 96during the raising of the opening-and-closing part 91, the CPU 66 sendsa control signal to the opening-and-closing motor 92 and stops theopening-and-closing motor 92.

Furthermore, the CPU 66 is connected to a stepping motor 32, motor 35and speaker 46 via an interface circuit 65.

The stepping motor 32 is used to open and close the opening-and-closingdoors 21 (21 a through 21 d) of the medal accumulating parts 20 (20 athrough 20 d), and the motor 35 is used to cause a reciprocating motionof the abovementioned field plate 34.

As is described above, the speaker 46 is used to output BGM, voice,effect sounds or the like in accordance with the game conditions.

The game that is played in the gaming machine constituting thisembodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart which shows the game execution processing routinethat is executed in the gaming machine 10 shown in FIG. 1. Thissubroutine is called up and executed when the power supply of the gamingmachine 10 is switched on. Furthermore, in the case of this gameexecution processing, since the same processing is performed for each ofthe four medal accumulating parts 20 (20 a through 20 d), the processingperformed for one medal accumulating part 20 among the four medalaccumulating parts 20 (20 a through 20 d) will be described below.

First, the CPU 66 determines whether or not a medal has entered eitherof the two medal receiving openings 22 (step S10). Specifically, the CPU66 determines whether or not a detection signal has been received fromthe medal sensor 28 detecting a medal that has entered one of the twomedal receiving openings 22 installed in the medal accumulating part 20.In cases where it is determined in step S10 that no medal has enteredeither of the two medal receiving openings 22, this subroutine is ended.

On the other hand, in cases where it is determined that a medal hasentered one of the two medal receiving openings 22, the CPU 66 nextdetermines whether or not lit color data has already been stored in theRAM 64 (step S12). This lit color data is data that relates to the litcolor of the LED lamps 23 of the medal receiving openings 22 determinedin step S18 (described below), and is stored in the RAM 64. Theinformation that lit color data is already stored in the RAM 64indicates that a medal has already entered one of the medal receivingopenings 22, and that the corresponding LED lamp 23 is lit with the litcolor determined in step S18.

In cases where it is determined in step S12 that lit color data hasalready been stored in the RAM 64, this subroutine is ended.

On the other hand, in cases where it is determined in step S12 that nolit color data is stored in the RAM 64, the CPU 66 next determineswhether or not lit color data relating to the other medal receivingopening is stored in the RAM 64 (step S14). The information that litcolor data relating to the other medal receiving opening 22 is stored inthe RAM 64 in step S14 indicates that a medal has already entered thisother medal receiving opening 22 prior to the entry of a medal into thefirst medal receiving opening 22 so that the LED lamp 23 is lit with thelit color determined in step S18.

In cases where it is determined in step S14 that lit color data relatingto the other medal receiving opening 22 is not stored in the RAM 64, theCPU 66 next executes processing that causes the LED lamp 23 of the firstmedal receiving opening 22 to blink (step S16). When the processing ofthis step S16 is executed, the LED lamp 23 blinks while sequentiallychanging color. Furthermore, the blinking of this LED lamp 23 isperformed for a fixed period of time (e.g., 3 seconds).

When the processing of step S16 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextexecutes lit color determination processing (step S18). In this stepS18, the CPU 66 performs a lit color determining drawing on the basis ofa lit color determination probability table stored in the ROM 62, andstores lit color data relating to the determined lit color in the RAM64.

When the processing of step S18 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextexecutes processing that lights the LED lamp 23 of the first medalreceiving opening 22 with the lit color determined in step S18 (stepS20). When the processing of step S20 has been executed, this subroutineis ended.

In cases where it is determined in the abovementioned step S14 that litcolor data relating to the other medal receiving opening 22 is stored inthe RAM 64, the CPU 66 next executes processing that causes the LED lamp23 of the first medal receiving opening 22 to blink (step S22). When theprocessing of this step S22 is executed, the LED lamp 23 blinks whilesequentially changing color. Furthermore, the blinking of this LED lamp23 is performed for a fixed period of time (e.g., 3 seconds).

When the processing of step S22 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextexecutes drawing processing (step S24). In this step S24, the CPU 66performs a drawing on the basis of the abovementioned drawingprobability table in order to determine the presence or absence of ajackpot. The results of this drawing are stored in the RAM 64 as drawingdata. In this drawing, a drawing is performed that determines whether ajackpot has been activated or missed.

When the processing of this step S24 is executed, the control part 60functions as drawing means which perform a drawing in order to determinethe presence or absence of a jackpot when medals are detected by themedal sensors 28 disposed in both of the two medal receiving openings22.

When the processing of step S24 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextdetermines whether or not a jackpot has been activated (step S26).Specifically, the CPU 66 determines whether or not the drawing datastored in the RAM 64 is drawing data that corresponds to a jackpot.

In cases where it is determined in step S26 that a jackpot has not beenactivated, i.e., in cases where the drawing data stored in the RAM 64 isdrawing data that corresponds to a “miss”, the CPU 66 next executesprocessing that causes the LED lamp 23 of the first medal receivingopening 22 be lit with a different color than that of the LED lamp 23 ofthe other medal receiving opening 22 (step S28). In this step S28, theCPU 66 causes the LED lamp 23 of the first medal receiving opening 22 tobe lit on the basis of the lit color data relating to the other medalreceiving opening 22 that is stored in the RAM 64 in the abovementionedstep S20, so that this lit color is a lit color that is different fromthe lit color of the LED lamp 23 of the other medal receiving opening22.

On the other hand, in cases where it is determined in step S26 that ajackpot has been activated, the CPU 66 next executes processing thatcauses the LED lamp 23 of the first medal receiving opening 22 to be litwith light of the same color as that of the LED lamp 23 of the othermedal receiving opening 22 (step S30). In this step S30, the CPU 66lights the LED lamp 23 of the first medal receiving opening 22 on thebasis of the lit color data relating to the other medal receivingopening 22 that is stored in the RAM 64 in the abovementioned step S20so that this lit color is the same as the light color of the LED lamp 23of the other medal receiving opening 22.

When the processing of step S30 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextexecutes processing that opens the opening-and-closing doors 21 (stepS32). In this step S32, the CPU 66 sends a driving signal to thestepping motor 32 and lowers the opening-and-closing doors 21 so thatthese doors are placed in an open state. When the processing of thisstep S32 is executed so that the opening-and-closing doors 21 are placedin an open state, the medals that have accumulated in the medalaccumulating part 20 are paid out. Furthermore, when the processing ofthis step S32 is executed, the control part 60, stepping motor 32 andopening-and-closing doors 21 function as pay-out means which pay outmedals from the medal accumulating part 20.

In cases where the processing of step S32 has been executed, or in caseswhere the processing of the abovementioned step S28 has been executed,the CPU 66 next executes reset processing, so that the two LED lamps 23are both extinguished, and so that the lit color data stored in the RAM64 is erased. When the processing of step S34 has been executed, thissubroutine is ended.

In the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, as is shown in FIG. 7, thetransmission that medals have respectively entered the two medalreceiving openings 22 disposed in each medal accumulating part 20 isnotified, and a drawing is performed in order to determine the presenceor absence of a jackpot. In cases where the drawing results indicatethat a jackpot has been activated, the player is notified of thisjackpot by the lighting of the two LED lamps 23 with the same lit color,and medals are paid out from the medal accumulating part 20. On theother hand, in cases where the drawing results indicate that a jackpothas not been activated (i.e., that the jackpot has been missed), the twoLED lamps 23 are lit with different lit colors, so that the player isnotified that the drawing results indicate a “miss”. Furthermore, as isdescribed with reference to FIG. 7, in cases where medals have enteredone of the two medal receiving openings 22 in continuous succession, adrawing used to determine the presence or absence of a jackpot is notperformed.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart which shows the medal supply processing routinethat is executed in the gaming machine 10 shown in FIG. 1. Thissubroutine is called up and executed when the power supply of the gamingmachine 10 is switched on.

First, the CPU 66 determines whether or not a specified period of time(5 minutes) has elapsed (step S40). In cases where it is determined thatthis specified period of time has not elapsed, the CPU 66 again performsthe determination processing of step S40. On the other hand, in caseswhere it is determined in step S40 that the abovementioned specifiedperiod of time has elapsed, the CPU 66 next executes supply drawingprocessing (step S42). In this step S42, the CPU 66 performs a drawingon the basis of the supply drawing probability table that is stored inthe ROM 62, and selects the medal carrying location 27 that is theobject of medal supply among the six medal carrying locations 27 on thebasis of the drawing results.

When the processing of step S42 has been executed, the CPU 66 next sendsa driving signal to the opening-and-closing motor 92 in order to openthe opening-and-closing part 91 associated with the medal carryinglocation 27 that has been selected in step S42, and causes thisopening-and-closing motor 92 to rotate (step S44). When the processingof this step S44 is executed, the opening-and-closing motor 92 rotatesin the rightward direction, so that the opening-and-closing part 91 islowered (see FIG. 4).

When the processing of step S44 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextdetermines whether or not a detection signal has been received from thelowering limit position sensor 97 (step S46). Specifically, the CPU 66determines whether or not a detection signal transmitted from thelowering limit position sensor 97 as a result of the contact 95 adisposed on the comb-form part 95 being detected by the lowering limitposition sensor 97 during the lowering of the opening-and-closing part91 has been received.

In cases where it is determined in step S46 that a detection signal hasnot been received, the CPU 66 again performs the determinationprocessing of step S46.

On the other hand, in cases where it is determined in step S46 that adetection signal has been received, the CPU 66 next sends a stoppingsignal to the opening-and-closing motor 92 in order to stop the loweringof the opening-and-closing part 91, and thus stops the rotation of theopening-and-closing motor 92 (step S48).

When the processing of step S48 has been executed, the CPU 66 next waitsuntil a specified period of time (5 seconds) has elapsed, and maintainsthe stopped state of the opening-and-closing part 91 (step S50). Then,in order to raise the opening-and-closing part 91, the CPU 66 sends adriving signal to the opening-and-closing motor 92, and causes theopening-and-closing motor 92 to perform reverse rotation (step S52).When the processing of this step S52 is executed, theopening-and-closing motor 92 rotates in the leftward direction, so thatthe opening-and-closing part 91 is raised (see FIG. 4).

When the processing of step S52 has been executed, the CPU 66 nextdetermines whether or not a detection signal has been received from theraising limit position sensor 96 (step S54). Specifically, the CPU 66determines whether or not a detection signal transmitted from theraising limit position sensor 96 as a result of the contact 95 adisposed on the comb-form part 95 being detected by the raising limitposition sensor 96 during the raising of the opening-and-closing part 91has been received.

In cases where it is determined in step S54 that a detection signal hasnot been received, the CPU 66 again performs the determinationprocessing of step S54.

In cases where it is determined in step S54 that a detection signal hasbeen received, the CPU 66 next sends a stopping signal to theopening-and-closing motor 92 in order to stop the raising of theopening-and-closing part 91, and thus stops the rotation of theopening-and-closing motor 92 (step S56). When the processing of step S56has been executed, this subroutine is ended.

In the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, as is described withreference to FIG. 8, a supply drawing that is used to select the medalcarrying location 27 that is the object of medal supply is performed,and the opening-and-closing part 91 is placed in an open state for afixed period of time (5 seconds) in order to supply medals to the medalcarrying location 27 that is selected on the basis of the drawingresults. When the opening-and-closing part 91 is placed in an openstate, the medals slide downward along the inclined surface 98 of themedal accommodating part 90, so that the medals move into the medalaccumulating part 20 installed on the medal carrying location 27.

Next, the game that is played in the gaming machine 10 of thisembodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIGS. 9A through 9C and 10A through 10C are diagrams which show how thegame is played in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment.

For example, when a medal enters the left-side medal receiving opening22 a of the two uppermost medal receiving openings 22 a among the medalreceiving openings 22 (22 a through 22 d) that are provided with two ofthese medal receiving openings 22 being provided for each of four medalaccumulating parts 20 (20 a through 20 d) as shown in FIG. 9A, the LEDlamp 23 a that is disposed in the left-side medal receiving opening 22 a(as shown in FIG. 9B) blinks while sequentially changing color, and isthen lit with a specified color as shown in FIG. 9C after a fixed periodof time has elapsed.

Then, when a medal enters the medal receiving opening 22 a on theopposite side (right side) after the LED lamp 23 a installed in theleft-side medal receiving opening 22 a is lit with a specified color, adrawing that is used to determine the presence or absence of a jackpotis performed, and if a jackpot is activated, the LED lamp 23 disposed inthe right-side medal receiving opening 22 a blinks while sequentiallychanging color as shown in FIG. 10A, and is then lit with the same coloras the lit color of the LED lamp 23 a of the left-side medal receivingopening 22 a (as shown in FIG. 10B) after a fixed period of time haselapsed, so that the player is notified that a jackpot has beenactivated on the basis of the results of the abovementioned drawing.

Furthermore, after the abovementioned notification that a jackpot hasbeen activated is made, the opening-and-closing doors 21 a are loweredso that these doors assume an open state as shown in FIG. 10C, and themedals that have accumulated in the medal accumulating part 20 a arepaid out. The medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating part20 a slide downward along the inclined surface of the medal carryinglocation 27 under their own weight, and are accumulated in the medalaccumulating part 20 b located beneath the medal accumulating part 20 a.

In the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, as is described withreference to FIGS. 1 through 10A-10C, notification that a jackpot hasbeen activated is made by lighting both of the two LED lamps 23 that areinstalled in each of the medal accumulating parts 20 with the same litcolor. Accordingly, the activating of a jackpot can be recognized bydirect perception. Furthermore, the feeling of achievement at havingactivated a jackpot can be sufficiently experienced as a result of suchnotification that a jackpot has been activated, and overlooking of thescenario in which the medals are paid out can be prevented. As a result,the players can thoroughly enjoy the game.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, drawings thatare used to determine the presence or absence of a jackpot are performedseparately for each of the two medal sensors 28 when medals are detectedby the two medal sensors 28 that are installed in each of the four medalaccumulating parts 20. Accordingly, the player projects medals whileaiming at both of the two medal receiving openings 22 for which medalsensors 28 are respectively installed, so that the skill of the playercan be reflected in the game results.

Furthermore, the challenge of the game can be increased by varying thenumber of medal sensors 28 that are installed for each medalaccumulating part 20.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, the playersare notified of the drawing results of the drawing that is used todetermine the presence or absence of a jackpot by means of LED lamps 23which have high visual recognition characteristics; accordingly, theactivating of jackpots can be confirmed more reliably.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, the medalaccumulating parts 20 a through 20 c are respectively disposed at higherlevels than the medal accumulating parts 20 b through 20 d that areadjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening 17, so that themedals that are paid out from the medal accumulating parts 20 a through20 c move as a result of their own weight, and are respectivelyaccumulated in the medal accumulating parts 20 b through 20 d.Accordingly, there is no need for a device that is used to move themedals or the like, and as a result, the cost of manufacturing thegaming machine can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, the medalsthat are transported by the transporting devices 50 and rails 45 areaccommodated in the medal accommodating part 90, and these medals thatare accommodated in the medal accommodating part 90 are supplied to themedal carrying locations 27 that are selected on the basis of the supplydrawing. Accordingly, in the stage in which the medals are transportedby the transporting devices 50 and rails 45, the medal carryinglocations 27 to which the medals are being supplied cannot berecognized. Accordingly, all of the players playing the game using sixgame fields 15 are enveloped by a feeling of anticipation regarding thesupply of the medals, so that the interest of the game can be continued.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 10 of this embodiment, since themachine is constructed so that the medals that are transported by thetransporting devices 50 and rails 45 can be visually recognized by theplayers, the quantity of medals that are transported by the transportingdevices 50 and rails 45 can be recognized. Accordingly, all of theplayers playing the game can be more strongly enveloped by a feeling ofanticipation regarding the supply of the medals.

In the abovementioned example, a case is described in which therespective medal accumulating parts are disposed above the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medal dischargeopening, and the gaming machine is constructed so that the medals in therespective medal accumulating parts move from these medal accumulatingparts under their own weight, and are accumulated in the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medal dischargeopening. However, in the first aspect of the present invention, as longas the respective medal accumulating parts are disposed so that thesemedal accumulating parts are sequentially disposed and ranged along themedal discharge opening, there are no particular restrictions on thepositional relationship of the respective medal accumulating parts; forexample, the gaming machine may be constructed so that a medalaccumulating part A among a plurality of medal accumulating parts ispositioned beneath a medal accumulating part B that is adjacent on theside of the medal discharge opening, and so that medals that are paidout from the medal accumulating part A are moved into the medalaccumulating part B by means of a moving device such as a conveyor orthe like.

In the abovementioned example, a case is described in which two medalreceiving openings equipped with medal sensors are respectively disposedcorresponding to each medal accumulating part, and drawings fordetermining the presence or absence of a jackpot are performedseparately for each of the two medal receiving openings. However, in thefirst aspect of the present invention, the system may also be devised sothat the entry of medals into the medal receiving openings isacknowledged, and a common drawing is performed for all of the medalaccumulating parts in order to determine the presence or absence of ajackpot with respect to the paying out of medals from one medalaccumulating part, or from two or more medal accumulating parts, amongthe plurality of medal accumulating parts.

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described in whichthe entry of medals into both of the two medal receiving openingsinstalled in each medal accumulating part is acknowledged, a drawing forthe purpose of determining the presence or absence of a jackpot isperformed, and in cases where the drawing results indicates that ajackpot has been activated, medals are paid out from the medalaccumulating part. In the first aspect of the present invention,however, the system may also be devised so that the entry of medals intoeach of a plurality of medal receiving openings disposed in each medalaccumulating part is acknowledged, drawings are respectively performedfor each of the above-mentioned plurality of medal receiving openings,and the presence or absence of a jackpot is determined in accordancewith the drawing results of all of the drawings relating to theplurality of medal receiving openings.

For example, the system may also be devised so that the entry of medalsinto each of two medal receiving openings disposed in each medalaccumulating part is acknowledged, drawings that determine theactivating or missing of a jackpot are performed for each individualmedal receiving opening, a jackpot is determined to have been activatedif the results of the drawings for the two medal receiving openings bothindicate an activation, and a jackpot is determined to have been missedif either of the two sets of drawing results for the two medal receivingopenings indicate a miss, or if both of these two sets of drawingresults indicate a miss.

In the abovementioned example, a case is described in which the entry ofmedals into the medal receiving openings is acknowledged, a drawing forthe purpose of determining the presence or absence of a jackpot isperformed, and the paying out of medals from the medal accumulating partis performed in cases where the drawing results of the abovementioneddrawing indicates that a jackpot has been activated. In the first aspectof the present invention, however, there are no particular restrictionson the conditions under which the drawing that is used to determine thepresence or absence of a jackpot is performed; for example, suchconditions may include the passage of a medal through a specifiedposition within the game space, the collision of a medal with a targetinstalled in a specified position within the game space, or the like.Furthermore, in the above-mentioned example, a case is described inwhich a drawing for the purpose of determining the presence or absenceof a jackpot is performed, and the paying out of medals from the medalaccumulating part is performed in cases where a jackpot is activatedaccording to the results of the abovementioned drawing. In the firstaspect of the present invention, however, the gaming machine may beconstructed so that the abovementioned drawing is not performed, and sothat a jackpot is activated as a result of, for example, the passage ofa medal through a specified position within the game space, thecollision of a medal with a target installed in a specified positionwithin the game space, or the like.

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described in whichnotification of the activating of a jackpot is made in cases where thelit color of two LED lamps disposed in the medal accumulating part isthe same color. In the first aspect of the present invention, however,there are no particular restrictions on the method that is used tonotify the players of the activating of a jackpot. For example, suchnotification can be accomplished by increasing the brightness of all ofa plurality of LED lamps corresponding to the medal accumulating part,or such notification can be accomplished by causing all of a pluralityof LED lamps corresponding to the medal accumulating part to blink. Forexample, the activating of a jackpot can also be reported by displayinga stopped combination of patterns or the like displayed by respectivedisplay devices comprising a plurality of LED pattern display devicescorresponding to the medal accumulating parts as a specified combination(e.g., a combination in which all of the patterns are “7”).

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described in whichthe passage of a fixed period of time (e.g., 5 minutes) is acknowledged,a supply drawing for the purpose of selecting the medal carryinglocation constituting the object of medal supply is performed, andmedals are supplied to the medal carrying location selected inaccordance with the results of this supply drawing. In the first aspectof the present invention, however, there are no particular restrictionson the conditions used to select the medal carrying location to whichmedals are supplied; for example, the activating of a jackpot andresulting pay-out of medals from one of the four medal accumulatingparts are acknowledged, and the selection of the medal carrying locationto which medals are to be supplied is performed accordingly.

Next, an embodiment relating to the second aspect of the presentinvention will be described on the basis of the drawings.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically showing one example of agaming machine of this embodiment.

Parts which are common with FIG. 1 showing an embodiment in accordancewith the first aspect of the present invention described above areindicated by a reference numeral equal to the corresponding referencenumeral used in FIG. 1, plus 1000. Only the basic composition isdescribed, and description of the detailed composition is omitted here.The gaming machine 1010 comprises a housing 1012 which has substantiallythe shape of a hexagonal column. The interior of the game space 1013 canbe viewed via window parts 1014 consisting of a transparent materialthat constitute parts of the housing 1012. Furthermore, the ceiling body1011 that forms a part of the housing 1012 also consists of atransparent material, so that the interior of the game space 1013 can beviewed from above. Six game fields 1015 constituting targets at whichmedals are launched from a medal launching device 1016 (described later)are respectively disposed inside the game space 1013 so that thehexagonal shape is divided into six parts from the center. Furthermore,in the figures, only two of the six game fields 1015 are shown.

Five transporting devices 1050 which are used for the upward conveyingof medals that have dropped into medal dropping openings 1037 (not shownin the figures), and rails 1045 that are respectively connected to theupper parts of the five transporting devices 1050, are disposed in thevicinity of the window parts 1014 inside the game space 1013. The rails1045 are disposed so that these rails are inclined downward from theupper parts of the transporting devices 1050 toward a medalaccommodating part 1090 disposed in the central part of the game space1013. The medals that are transported upward by the transporting devices1050 slide down the rails 1045 and are accommodated in the medalaccommodating part 1090. Furthermore, the rails 1045 consist of atransparent material such as an acrylic resin or the like, and arearranged so that the medals that slide down the rails 1045 can be seenfrom the outside.

Whenever a specified time (e.g., 5 minutes) has elapsed, the medalsaccommodated in the medal accommodating part 1090 are supplied to one ofa number of medal carrying locations 1027 (not shown in the figures)that are respectively provided for the six game fields 1015. In thiscase, a drawing (hereafter referred to as the “supply drawing”) that isused to select the medal carrying location 1027 that is the object ofmedal supply among the six medal carrying locations 1027 is conducted,and medals are supplied to the medal carrying locations 1027 inaccordance with the results of this supply drawing.

Furthermore, the abovementioned transporting devices 1050 and medalaccommodating part 1090 will be described in detail later with referenceto the attached figures.

Launching devices 1016 that are used to launch medals are respectivelydisposed corresponding to the six game fields 1015 in the lower part ofthe housing 1012, so that a maximum of six players can simultaneouslyplay the game. These launching devices 1016 are installed so that thedevices can pivot in the vertical (up-down) direction and left-rightdirection within a specified range. The players determine the launchingdirection of the medals by pivoting the launching devices 1016 withinthe specified range in the vertical and left-right directions, andlaunch medals by pressing a launch button 1122 (not shown in thefigures), so that the medals are launched inside the game space 1013.

Furthermore, the permissible pivoting range and the like of thelaunching devices 1016 are set so that the launching devices 1016 canproject medals only onto the corresponding game fields 1015.

Moreover, a medal removal opening 1031 is disposed beneath eachlaunching device 1016, and medals that are discharged to the outside ofthe game space 1013 via the medal discharge opening 1017 (not shown inthe figures) described later are supplied to the medal removal openings1031, and given to the players.

Furthermore, medal receiving openings 1022 that are used to receivemedals that are launched by the launching devices 1016 into the gamespace 1013 and projected into the game space 1013 are disposed in asuspended fashion in a moving unit 1100 for moving the medal receivingopenings 1022 upwards and downwards. This moving unit 1100 functions asmoving means which move the medal receiving openings 1022. Two medalreceiving openings 1022 are provided respectively for each game field1015. Moreover, the moving unit 1100 is attached to the ceiling body1011. If a medal is inserted into either one of the two medal receivingopenings 1022 and the medal is detected by the medal sensor 1028 (notshown in the figures) provided in the medal receiving opening 1022, thena drawing is performed in order to determine the presence or absence ofa jackpot with respect to the paying out of medals from one or more offour medal accumulating parts 1020 (1020 a-1020 d), which are describedhereafter, and if a jackpot is activated, then medals are paid out froma medal accumulating part 1020 determined in accordance with the resultof the drawing.

The moving unit 1100 is described in detail hereafter with respect tothe drawings.

Next, the game fields 1015 disposed inside the game space 1013 will bedescribed.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view which schematically shows one of the gamefields 1015 disposed inside the game space 1013 of the gaming machine1010 shown in FIG. 11. Furthermore, in the following description, one ofthe six game fields 1015 provided in the gaming machine 1010 will bedescribed.

This game field 1015 comprises a medal carrying location 1027 and fourmedal accumulating parts 1020 (1020 a through 1020 d). The medalaccumulating parts 1020 (1020 a through 1020 d) are constructed from theinclined surface of the medal carrying location 1027,opening-and-closing doors 1021 (1021 a through 1021 d) that will bedescribed later, medal receiving openings 1022 (1022 a through 1022 d)that will be described later, and side plates (not shown in thefigures). The side plates are disposed on both side parts of theinclined surface of the medal carrying location 1027 so as to contactthe medal receiving openings 1022. Each of the medal accumulating parts1020 a through 1020 d can accumulate medals that are projected by thecorresponding launching device 1016. Furthermore, the medal accumulatingpart 1020 a can accumulate medals that are supplied from the medalaccommodating part 1090 (see FIG. 11). The four medal accumulating parts1020 a through 1020 d are sequentially disposed and ranged along theinclined surface of the medal carrying location 1027 toward the playerwho is playing the game in front.

Opening-and-closing doors 1021 a through 1021 d consisting of atransparent material such as an acrylic resin or the like arerespectively disposed before the respective medal accumulating parts1020 a through 1020 d. The players playing the game in front of themedal accumulating parts 1020 a through 1020 d can visually observe themedals that have accumulated in the medal accumulating parts 1020 athrough 1020 d via these opening-and-closing doors 1021 a through 1021d.

The opening-and-closing doors 1021 (1021 a through 1021 d) arerespectively connected to a stepping motor 1032 (not shown in thefigures) via a transmission member or the like (not shown in thefigures) that can convert the rotational motion of the stepping motor1032 into a rectilinear reciprocating motion, so that theopening-and-closing doors can be moved upward or downward and placed inan open state or closed state by the operation of the stepping motor1032.

When the stepping motor 1032 operates so that the opening-and-closingdoors 1021 a through 1021 d are placed in an open state, the medals thatare blocked slide and move downward along the inclined surface of themedal carrying location 1027 as a result of their own weight.

LED lamps 1023 a through 1023 d that can emit light of a plurality ofdifferent colors are respectively disposed on the left and right sidesof each of the opening-and-closing doors 1021 a through 1021 d. If theentry of a medal into a medal receiving opening 1022 is acknowledged, adrawing to determine the presence or absence of a jackpot is carriedout, and if it is ascertained that a jackpot has been activated, thenthe LED lamps 1023 on the left and right sides are lit with the samecolor, thus providing notification that a jackpot has been activated.

For example, if the entry of a medal into one of the medal receivingopenings 1022 of the two medal receiving openings 1022 provided in agame field 1015 is acknowledged, a drawing for determining the presenceor absence of a jackpot is carried out, and if a jackpot has beenactivated with respect to the paying out of medals from a medalaccumulating part 1020 a of the four medal accumulating parts 1020 (1020a through 1020 d), then all of the LED lamps 1023 (1023 a-1023 d) blinkwhile sequentially changing colors, and then all of the LED lamps 1023are lit with a specified color, after a specified period of time haselapsed. In this case, if the color with which the two LED lamps 1023 arelating to the medal accumulating part 1020 a are lit is the samecolor, then it is reported that a jackpot has been activated, and theopening-and-closing doors 1021 a are driven by the stepping motor 1032so that the opening-and-closing doors 1021 a are placed in an openstate. Thereupon, the medals that were blocked by theopening-and-closing doors 1021 a slide downward along the inclinedsurface of the medal carrying location 1027, and are accumulated in themedal accumulating part 1021 b located beneath the medal accumulatingpart 1020 a.

Furthermore, if the entry of a medal into the medal receiving opening1022 is acknowledged, a drawing for determining the presence or absenceof a jackpot is carried out, and if a jackpot is activated with respectto the paying out of medals from the medal accumulating part 1020 a andthe medal accumulating part 1020 b of the four medal accumulating parts1020, then all of the LED lamps 1023 blink while changing color,whereupon they are lit with a specified color. In this case, the two LEDlamps 1023 a relating to the medal accumulating part 1020 a and the twoLED lamps 1023 b relating to the medal accumulating part 1020 b are litrespectively with the same color. Thereupon, the opening-and-closingdoors 1021 a and the opening-and-closing doors 1021 b are placed in anopen state.

The medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating parts 1020 athrough 1020 c respectively move under their own weight into the medalaccumulating parts 1020 b through 1020 d that are adjacent on the sideof the medal discharge opening 1017, and that are positioned lower thanthe medal accumulating parts 1020 a through 1020 c, and are accumulatedin these medal accumulating parts 1020 b through 1020 d. The medals thatare paid out from the medal accumulating part 1020 d that is locatedclosely to the medal discharge opening 1017 slide downward, and areeither carried on the field plate 1034 (described later), or caused todrop into the medal discharge opening 1017 from the field plate 1034 andgiven to the player, or caused to drop into the medal dropping opening1037 (described later) and conveyed by the abovementioned transportingdevice 1050.

Next, the moving unit 1100 will be described.

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing a moving unit1100.

The moving unit 1100 comprises a frame body 1101 fixed to the ceilingbody 1011, a raising and lowering motor 1102 provided inside the framebody 1101, and a winding part 1103 installed on a shaft of the raisingand lowering motor 1102. One end of a rope 1104 is wound about thewinding part 1103 and the other end of the rope 1104 is fixed to acoupling bar 1106 coupled to the medal receiving opening 1022.

The moving unit 1100 is composed so that raising and lowering of themedal receiving opening 1022 is performed in a repeated fashion byswitching the raising and lowering motor 1102 between forward rotationand reverse rotation, at a prescribed timing.

The timing at which the rotation of the raising and lowering motor 1102is switched may be constant at all times, or it may be changed inspecified conditions. Moreover, the rotational speed of the raising andlowering motor 1102 may be constant at all times, or it may be changedin specified conditions.

The medal receiving opening 1022 comprises a medal sensor 1028, which isan infrared sensor, provided inside the opening. A medal that hasentered the medal receiving opening 1022 is detected by the medal sensor1028 and then continues to fall downwards as indicated by the arrow withthe double-dotted line in the drawing. The medal sensor 1028 functionsas detecting means which detect a medal that has entered into the medalreceiving opening 1022. Furthermore, the medal sensor 1028 is notlimited to being an infrared sensor, but may also be a magneticproximity type sensor or a mechanical sensor, or the like.

The abovementioned transporting devices 1050, medal accommodating part1090 and launching devices 1016 are similar to the transporting devices50, medal accommodating part 90 and launching devices 16 in theembodiment in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention,and hence detailed description thereof is omitted here.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the internalcomposition of a gaming machine of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 14, a control part 1060 is provided inside the framebody 1012 of the gaming machine 1010. The control part 1060 comprises acentral processing unit (CPU) 1066, a ROM 1062 and a RAM 1064.

The ROM 1062 stores game programs that control the flow of the overallgames of the gaming machine 1010, programs relating to the drawing thatis conducted in order to establish the presence or absence of a jackpot,programs used to conduct the supply drawing that is used to select themedal carrying location 1027 that is the object of medal supply, audiodata that is required in order to generate background music, soundeffects, and the like in accordance with the game conditions, and otherdata. Furthermore, the ROM 1062 also stores drawing probability tablesthat are required in order to conduct the drawing that is used todetermine the presence or absence of a jackpot, supply drawingprobability tables that are required in order to conduct the supplydrawing used to select the medal carrying location 1027 that is theobject of medal supply among the six medal carrying locations 1027, andthe like.

The CPU 1066 is connected to the medal sensors 1028 and the LED lamps1023 (1023 a through 1023 d) via an interface circuit 1061. When it isdetected by a medal sensor 1028 that a medal has entered a medalreceiving opening 1022, a detection signal is sent to the CPU 1066 viathe interface circuit 1061. Thereupon, if a drawing for determining thepresence or absence of a jackpot is conducted and the jackpot isactivated, then a control signal is sent to the two LED lamps 1023relating to the medal accumulating part to which it is determined to payout medals on the basis of the drawing result, and this control signalcauses the two LED lamps 1023 to be lit with the same color.

Furthermore, the CPU 1066 is connected to the medal accommodating part1090 via an interface circuit 1063. Each time that a specified period oftime has elapsed, the CPU 1066 sends a driving signal to theopening-and-closing motor 1092, and causes the opening-and-closing motor1092 to operate. When the CPU 1066 receives a detection signal from thelowering limit position sensor 1097 during the lowering of theopening-and-closing part 1091 by the rotation of the opening-and-closingmotor 1092, the CPU 1066 sends a control signal to theopening-and-closing motor 1092 and stops the opening-and-closing motor1092. Then, after a fixed period of time (5 seconds) has elapsed, theCPU 1066 again sends a control signal to the opening-and-closing motor1092 and causes the opening-and-closing motor 1092 to rotate in thereverse direction so that the opening-and-closing part 1091 is raised.Furthermore, when the CPU 1066 receives a detection signal from theraising limit position sensor 1096 during the raising of theopening-and-closing part 1091, the CPU 1066 sends a control signal tothe opening-and-closing motor 1092 and stops the opening-and-closingmotor 1092.

Furthermore, the CPU 1066 is connected to a stepping motor 1032, motor1035, raising and lowering motor 1102, and speaker 1046 via an interfacecircuit 1065. The stepping motor 1032 is used to open and close theopening-and-closing doors 1021 (1021 a through 1021 d) of the medalaccumulating parts 1020 (1020 a through 1020 d), and the motor 1035 isused to cause a reciprocating motion of the abovementioned field plate.

As described above, the raising and lowering motor 1102 is used to movethe medal receiving opening upwards and downwards in the verticaldirection.

As described above, the speaker 1046 is used to output background music,voice, sound effects, or the like, in accordance with the gameconditions.

The game that is played in the gaming machine constituting thisembodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart which shows the game execution processingroutine that is executed in the gaming machine 1010 shown in FIG. 11.This subroutine is called up and executed when the power supply of thegaming machine 1010 is switched on.

First, the CPU 1066 determines whether or not a medal has entered eitherof the two medal receiving openings 1022 (step S110). More specifically,the CPU 1066 determines whether or not a detection signal has beenreceived from the medal sensor 1028 provided in the medal receivingopening 1022 detecting a medal that has entered one of the two medalreceiving openings 1022. In cases where it is determined in step S110that no medal has entered either of the two medal receiving openings,this subroutine is ended.

On the other hand, in cases where it is determined that a medal hasentered one of the two medal receiving openings 1022, the CPU 1066 nextexecutes drawing processing (step S112). At this step S112, the CPU 1066performs a drawing on the basis of the abovementioned drawingprobability table in order to determine the presence or absence of ajackpot. The results of this drawing are stored in the RAM 1064 asdrawing data. In this drawing, a drawing is performed that determineswhether a jackpot has been activated or missed with respect to payingout of medals from one or more of the four medal accumulating parts 1020(medal accumulating parts 1020 a through 1020 d). When the processing ofthis step S112 is executed, the control part 1060 functions as drawingmeans.

FIG. 16 shows one example of the drawing probability table describedabove. Here, a case is described where the probability of a jackpotbeing activated with respect to the paying out of medals from one ormore of the four medal accumulating parts is 1/32. Of course, in thesecond aspect of the present invention, the table used in the drawingfor establishing the presence or absence of a jackpot activation is notlimited to the example shown in FIG. 16.

In the drawing probability table shown in FIG. 16, the type of medalaccumulating part to which medals are to be paid out is established inaccordance with a random drawing value drawn within a range of 0 to16383.

For example, no medals are paid out from any of the medal accumulatingparts, if the random drawing value is in the range of 0 to 15871. Inthis case, it is ascertained that the jackpot has been missed.

Moreover, if the random drawing value is in the range of 15872 to 15935,then medals are paid out from the medal accumulating part 1020 a, amongthe four medal accumulating parts 1020.

Moreover, if the random drawing value is in the range of 16128 to 16159,then medals are paid out from the two medal accumulating parts 1020 aand 1020 b among the four medal accumulating parts.

In this way, if a drawing is performed on the basis of the drawingprobability table shown in FIG. 16, then depending on the result of thedrawing, a jackpot is activated with respect to paying out medals fromtwo or more medal accumulating parts of the four medal accumulatingparts.

When the processing in step S112 is executed, the CPU 1066 next executesprocessing that causes the LED lamps 1023 to blink (step S114). When theprocessing of this step S114 is executed, all of the LED lamps 1023(1023 a through 1023 d) blink while sequentially changing color.Furthermore, the blinking of these LED lamps 1023 is performed for afixed period of time (e.g., 3 seconds).

When the processing of step S114 has been executed, the CPU 1066 nextexecutes processing for causing all of the LED lamps 1023 (1023 athrough 1023 d) to light on the basis of the drawing data stored in theRAM 1064 as a result of executing the processing in step S112 (stepS116).

When the processing in step S116 has been executed, the CPU 1066 nextdetermines whether or not the lit colors of the left and right-hand LEDlamps 1023 are the same (step S118). In this step S118, the CPU 1066determines whether or not the lit colors of the left and right-hand LEDlamps 1023 are the same, for all of the four medal accumulating parts1020.

If it is determined in step S118 that the lit colors of the left andright-hand LED lamps 1023 are different in the case of all of the medalaccumulating parts 1020, then this subroutine is ended.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S118 that the lit colorsof the left and right-hand LED lamps 1023 are the same in the case ofany of the four medal accumulating parts 1020, then the CPU 1066 nextexecutes processing for opening the opening-and-closing doors of themedal accumulating part 1020 at which the lit colors of the left andright-hand LED lamps 1023 are the same (step S120). In this step S120,the CPU 1066 sends a driving signal to the stepping motor 1032 andcauses the opening-and-closing doors 1021 to be lowered and placed in anopen state. When this processing by the stepping motor 1020 is executedand the opening-and-closing doors 1021 are placed in an open state, themedals that have accumulated in the medal accumulating part 1020 arepaid out.

When the processing of this step S120 is executed, the control part 1060and the stepping motor 1032 function as pay-out means.

When the processing in step S120 has been executed, this subroutine isended.

As described with reference to FIG. 15, in the gaming machine 1010 ofthis embodiment, the entry of a medal into either of the two medalreceiving openings 1022 is acknowledged, a drawing for the purpose ofdetermining the presence or absence of a jackpot is performed, and ifthe drawing results indicate that a jackpot has been activated, then theactivating of the jackpot is notified to the player by means of the twoLED lamps 1023 lighting up with the same color, and medals are paid outfrom the medal accumulating part 1020. On the other hand, if the drawingresult indicates that a jackpot has not been activated (in other words,that it has been missed), then the two LED lamps 1023 light up withdifferent colors, thereby notifying the player that the drawing resultindicates a miss.

The medal supply processing routine that is executed in the gamingmachine 1010 shown in FIG. 11 is similar to the medal supply processingroutine of the embodiment in accordance with the first aspect of thepresent invention, and therefore detailed description thereof is omittedhere.

As described with reference to FIG. 11 to FIG. 16, in the gaming machine1010 relating to the embodiment of the second aspect of the presentinvention, since the medal receiving openings 1022 can be moved upwardsand downwards by means of the moving unit 1100, the game is played whilesequentially changing the speed, direction, and the like, at which themedals enter into the moving medal receiving openings 1022.Consequently, it is possible to achieve game contents having a richsense of movement. Moreover, in order to increase the frequency at whichthe medals enter into the medal receiving openings 1022, it is necessaryto adjust the speed, direction, and the like, at which the medals areintroduced into same, and hence the skill of the player is reflected inthe game results. Therefore, the player can become absorbed in the game,without feeling boredom.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, medals arepaid out from two or more of the four medal accumulating parts 1020,depending on the results of a drawing that is used to determine thepresence or absence of a jackpot, and hence there is an opportunity ofacquiring a large number of medals at one time, thereby creating astrong sense of anticipation.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, the medalsthat are transported by the transporting devices 1050 and rails 1045 areaccommodated in the medal accommodating part 1090, and these medals thatare accommodated in the medal accommodating part 1090 are supplied tothe medal carrying locations 1027 that are selected on the basis of thesupply drawing. Accordingly, in the stage in which the medals aretransported by the transporting devices 1050 and rails 1045, the medalcarrying locations 1027 to which the medals are being supplied cannot berecognized. Accordingly, all of the players playing the game using sixgame fields 1015 can be enveloped by a feeling of anticipation regardingthe supply of the medals, so that the interest of the game can besustained.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, since themachine is constructed so that the medals that are transported by thetransporting devices 1050 and rails 1045 can be visually recognized bythe players, the quantity of medals that are transported by thetransporting devices 1050 and rails 1045 can be recognized. Accordingly,all of the players playing the game can be more strongly enveloped by afeeling of anticipation regarding the supply of the medals.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, the medalaccumulating parts 1020 a through 1020 c are respectively disposed athigher levels than the medal accumulating parts 1020 b through 1020 dthat are adjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening 1017, sothat the medals that are paid out from the medal accumulating parts 1020a through 1020 c move as a result of their own weight, and arerespectively accumulated in the medal accumulating parts 1020 b through1020 d. Accordingly, there is no need for a device that is used to movethe medals or the like, and as a result, the cost of manufacturing thegaming machine can be reduced.

In the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, notification that ajackpot has been activated is made by lighting both of the two LED lampsthat are installed in each of the four medal accumulating parts 1020with the same lit color. Accordingly, the activating of a jackpot can beperceived directly. Furthermore, the feeling of achievement at havingactivated a jackpot can be sufficiently experienced as a result of suchnotification that a jackpot has been activated, and overlooking of thescenario in which the medals are paid out can be prevented. As a result,the players can thoroughly enjoy the game.

Furthermore, in the gaming machine 1010 of this embodiment, the playersare notified of the drawing results of the drawing that is used todetermine the presence or absence of a jackpot by means of LED lampswhich are highly visible, and hence, the activating of jackpots can beconfirmed more reliably.

In the example described above, a gaming machine is constructed in sucha manner that the medal receiving openings can be moved upwards anddownwards, but in the second aspect of the present invention, thedirection of movement of the medal receiving openings is not limited inparticular. For example, the gaming machine may also be constructed insuch a manner that the medal receiving openings can be moved rightwardsand leftwards, or forwards and backwards, and mover, the gaming machinemay also be constructed in such a manner that the medal receivingopenings move in a circular fashion.

Moreover, it is also possible to provide openable and closable lids inthe opening sections of the medal receiving openings where the medalsenter into same, these lids being placed in an open state or a closedstate at prescribed timings. By this means, it is possible to make itmore difficult for medals to enter into the medal receiving openings,and hence the difficulty of the game can be adjusted.

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described where acommon medal receiving opening is provided for a plurality of medalaccumulating parts, entry of medals into the medal receiving opening isacknowledged, and a drawing is performed in order to establish thepresence or absence of a jackpot with respect to the paying out ofmedals from any one of the plurality of medal accumulating parts, but inthe second aspect of the present invention, for example, medal receivingopenings are provided corresponding respectively to each of theplurality of medal accumulating parts, entry of medals into a medalreceiving opening is acknowledged, and a drawing can be performed inorder to establish the presence or absence of a jackpot with respect tothe paying out of medals from the medal accumulating part relating tothat medal receiving opening.

In the abovementioned example, a case is described in which medalaccumulating parts are respectively disposed at higher levels than themedal accumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of the medaldischarge opening, and the gaming machine is constructed so that themedals from the respective medal accumulating part move as a result oftheir own weight from the respective medal accumulating parts, and areaccumulated in the medal accumulating parts that are adjacent on theside of the medal discharge opening. However, in the second aspect ofthe present invention, as long as the respective medal accumulatingparts are disposed so that these medal accumulating parts aresequentially disposed and ranged along the medal discharge opening,there are no particular restrictions on the positional relationship ofthe respective medal accumulating parts; for example, the gaming machinemay be constructed so that a medal accumulating part A among a pluralityof medal accumulating parts is positioned beneath a medal accumulatingpart B that is adjacent on the side of the medal discharge opening, insuch a manner that medals that are paid out from the medal accumulatingpart A are moved into the medal accumulating part B by means of a movingdevice, such as a conveyor or the like.

In the abovementioned example, a case is described in which medals thatare supplied from a medal accommodating part are accumulated in theuppermost medal accumulating part of a plurality of medal accumulatingparts provided in the medal carrying location, but in the second aspectof the present invention, there is no particular restriction on themedal accumulating part where the medals that are supplied from themedal accommodating part are accumulated, and these medals may beaccumulated in any medal accumulating part of the plurality of medalaccumulating parts.

Moreover, in the second aspect of the present invention, it is alsopossible to provide no medal accumulating part in the medal carryinglocation; for example, medals that are supplied from the medalaccommodating part 1090 may be caused to slide down an inclined surfaceof the medal carrying location so that they can be given to the playervia the medal discharge opening.

In the second aspect of the present invention, for example, the gamingmachine may be constructed in such a manner that the collision of amedal with a movable target provided in a prescribed position inside thegame space is acknowledged, and a drawing is performed in order todetermine the presence or absence of a jackpot.

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described in whichnotification of the activating of a jackpot is made in cases where thelit color of two LED lamps disposed in the medal accumulating part isthe same color. In the second aspect of the present invention, however,there are no particular restrictions on the method that is used tonotify the players of the activating of a jackpot. For example, suchnotification can be accomplished by increasing the brightness of all ofa plurality of LED lamps corresponding to the medal accumulating part,or such notification can be accomplished by causing all of a pluralityof LED lamps corresponding to the medal accumulating part to blink. Forexample, the activating of a jackpot can also be reported by displayinga stopped combination of patterns or the like displayed by respectivedisplay devices comprising a plurality of LED pattern display devicescorresponding to the medal accumulating parts as a specified combination(e.g., a combination in which all of the patterns are “7”).

Furthermore, in the abovementioned example, a case is described in whichthe passage of a fixed period of time (e.g., 5 minutes) is acknowledged,a supply drawing for the purpose of selecting the medal carryinglocation constituting the object of medal supply is performed, andmedals are supplied to the medal carrying location selected inaccordance with the results of this supply drawing. In the second aspectof the present invention, however, there are no particular restrictionson the conditions used to select the medal carrying location to whichmedals are supplied; for example, the activating of a jackpot andresulting pay-out of medals from one of the four medal accumulatingparts are acknowledged, and the selection of the medal carrying locationto which medals are to be supplied is performed accordingly.

1. A gaming machine comprising: a gaming machine having a projectiondevice for projection of medals into a gaming space; said gaming machinehaving a medal discharge opening for discharging medals to an outside ofsaid gaming space; wherein said gaming machine has a plurality of medalaccumulating parts, and is constructed so that said plurality of medalaccumulating parts are sequentially disposed and ranged along said medaldischarge opening, wherein the medals that are paid out from therespective medal accumulating parts are sequentially moved andaccumulated in the medal accumulating parts that are adjacent on theside of said medal discharge opening, and wherein the medals that arepaid out from the medal accumulating parts that are located closely tosaid medal discharge opening are discharged from said medal dischargeopening and given to the player; a detector for detecting the medalsthat are projected from said projection device; a drawing device forperforming a drawing in order to determine the presence or absence of ajackpot when the medals are detected by said detector; a notificationdevice for making a notification of the drawing results of said drawingdevice; and a pay-out device for paying out medals from the medalaccumulating parts when notification of a jackpot is made by saidnotification device.
 2. The gaming machine according to claim 1, whereinsaid notification device comprises an LED lamp.
 3. The gaming machineaccording to claim 1, wherein said notification device comprises an LEDpattern display device.
 4. The gaming machine according to claim 1,wherein a plurality of said detectors are disposed corresponding to therespective medal accumulating parts, said drawing device performs adrawing in order to determine a presence or absence of a jackpotseparately for each of said plurality of detectors when medals aredetected by said detectors, said notification device is disposedcorresponding to each of said detectors, and said pay-out device paysout medals from said medal accumulating parts when notification is madeof a jackpot by a combination of notification contents of a plurality ofnotification devices disposed corresponding to the medal accumulatingparts.
 5. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein saidnotification device comprises an LED lamp.
 6. The gaming machineaccording to claim 5, wherein said LED lamps are respectively disposedcorresponding to a plurality of said detectors, and said respective LEDlamps are lit or caused to blink with a same color when said jackpot isactivated.
 7. The gaming machine according to claim 4, wherein saidnotification device comprises an LED pattern display device.
 8. Thegaming machine according to claim 7, wherein said LED pattern displaydevices are respectively disposed corresponding to a plurality of saiddetectors, and said respective LED pattern display devices display asame pattern when said jackpot is activated.
 9. The gaming machineaccording to claim 1, wherein said respective medal accumulating partsare disposed above the medal accumulating parts that are adjacent on theside of said medal discharge opening, and medals in the respective medalaccumulating parts are caused to move by their own weight from theserespective medal accumulating parts, and are accumulated in the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of said medal dischargeopening.
 10. A gaming machine comprising: a gaming machine having aprojection device for projection of medals into a gaming space; saidgaming machine having a medal discharge opening for discharging medalsto an outside of said gaming space; wherein said gaming machine has aplurality of medal accumulating parts, and is constructed so that saidplurality of medal accumulating parts are sequentially disposed andranged along said medal discharge opening, wherein the medals that arepaid out from the respective medal accumulating parts are sequentiallymoved and accumulated in the medal accumulating parts that are adjacenton the side of said medal discharge opening, and wherein the medals thatare paid out from the medal accumulating parts that are located closelyto said medal discharge opening are discharged from said medal dischargeopening and given to the player; detecting means for detecting themedals that are projected from said projection device; drawing means forperforming a drawing in order to determine the presence or absence of ajackpot when the medals are detected by said detecting means;notification means for making a notification of the drawing results ofsaid drawing means; and pay-out means for paying out medals from themedal accumulating parts when notification of a jackpot is made by saidnotification means.
 11. A gaming machine comprising: a gaming machinehaving a projection device for projection of medals into a gaming space;said gaming machine having a medal receiving opening for receivingmedals that are projected by said projection device; wherein said gamingmachine has a medal discharge opening for discharging medals to theoutside of said gaming space; wherein said gaming machine has aplurality of medal accumulating parts, and is constructed so that saidplurality of medal accumulating parts are sequentially disposed andranged along said medal discharge opening, wherein the medals that arepaid out from the respective medal accumulating parts are sequentiallymoved and accumulated in the medal accumulating parts that are adjacenton the side of said medal discharge opening, and wherein the medals thatare paid out from the medal accumulating part that is located closely tosaid medal discharge opening are discharged from said medal dischargeopening and given to the player; a detector for detecting the medalsthat have entered into said medal receiving opening; a drawing devicefor performing a drawing in order to determine the presence or absenceof a jackpot when the medals are detected by said detector; a pay-outdevice for paying out medals from the medal accumulating parts inaccordance with the drawing results of said drawing device; and a movingdevice for moving said medal receiving opening.
 12. The gaming machineaccording to claim 11, wherein said moving device is a moving unit inwhich said medal receiving opening is disposed in a suspended fashion,said moving unit causing said medal receiving opening to move upwardsand downwards.
 13. The gaming machine according to claim 12, whereinsaid moving unit comprises: a frame body fixed to a ceiling part insidesaid gaming space; a raising and lowering motor provided inside saidframe body; and a rope winding part attached to the shaft of saidraising and lowering motor; the other end of the rope that is woundabout said rope winding part being attached to a member coupled to saidmedal receiving opening.
 14. The gaming machine according to claim 11,wherein an openable and closable lid body is provided in the openingsection of said medal receiving opening into which the medals enter, insuch a manner that an opening and closing operation of said lid body isperformed with a prescribed timing.
 15. The gaming machine according toclaim 11, wherein said drawing device performs a drawing in order todetermine a presence or absence of a jackpot with respect to the payingout of medals from two or more medal accumulating parts of saidplurality of medal accumulating parts, when the medals have beendetected by said detector.
 16. The gaming machine according to claim 11,comprising a notification device for making a notification of thedrawing results of said drawing device.
 17. The gaming machine accordingto claim 16, wherein said notification device comprises an LED lamp. 18.The gaming machine according to claim 16, wherein said notificationdevice comprises an LED pattern display device.
 19. The gaming machineaccording to claim 11, wherein said respective medal accumulating partsare disposed above the medal accumulating parts that are adjacent on theside of said medal discharge opening, and medals in the respective medalaccumulating parts are caused to move by their own weight from theserespective medal accumulating parts, and are accumulated in the medalaccumulating parts that are adjacent on the side of said medal dischargeopening.
 20. A gaming machine comprising: a gaming machine having aprojection device for projection of medals into a gaming space; saidgaming machine having a medal receiving opening for receiving medalsthat are projected by said projection device; wherein said gamingmachine has a medal discharge opening for discharging medals to theoutside of said gaming space; wherein said gaming machine has aplurality of medal accumulating parts, and is constructed so that saidplurality of medal accumulating parts are sequentially disposed andranged along said medal discharge opening, wherein the medals that arepaid out from the respective medal accumulating parts are sequentiallymoved and accumulated in the medal accumulating parts that are adjacenton the side of said medal discharge opening, and wherein the medals thatare paid out from the medal accumulating part that is located closely tosaid medal discharge opening are discharged from said medal dischargeopening and given to the player; detecting means for detecting themedals that have entered into said medal receiving opening; drawingmeans for performing a drawing in order to determine the presence orabsence of a jackpot when the medals are detected by said detectingmeans; pay-out means for paying out medals from the medal accumulatingparts in accordance with the drawing results of said drawing means; andmoving means for moving said medal receiving opening.